contacts

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why contacts needs a policy

This tool performs data retrieval and querying of stored contacts without side effects. No creation, modification, deletion, or external execution is performed. This is a standard read operation with minimal risk if misused—exposure would be contact information leakage rather than destructive action.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'contacts' with description 'Search and retrieve contacts from Apple Contacts app' indicates read-only operations (search, retrieve) with no data modification or deletion capabilities.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access contacts gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control contacts

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Apple MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for contacts:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "contacts": {}
  }
}

contacts is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register Apple MCP — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Apple MCP tools

Execute maps Search locations, manage guides, save favorites, and get directions using Apple Maps Write calendar Search, create, and open calendar events in Apple Calendar app Write mail Interact with Apple Mail app - read unread emails, search emails, and send emails Write messages Interact with Apple Messages app - send, read, schedule messages and check unread messages Write notes Search, retrieve and create notes in Apple Notes app Write reminders Search, create, and open reminders in Apple Reminders app Read webSearch Search the web using DuckDuckGo and retrieve content from search results

All 8 Apple MCP tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about contacts

What does the contacts tool do? +

Search and retrieve contacts from Apple Contacts app. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Apple MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on contacts? +

Register the Apple MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for contacts: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Apple MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is contacts? +

contacts is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit contacts? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the contacts rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block contacts completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for contacts. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides contacts? +

contacts is provided by the Apple MCP server (jxnl/apple-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Apple MCP tool call.

Start from Apple MCP, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →